Akron Art Library

Jay Croft, Don't Worry We Can Still Be Friends, 2012 - Mixed media

About the Artist

Jay CroftAmerican, born 1973, Akron, OhioLives in Silver Lake, Ohio

Have you ever wanted to design your own skateboard or create your own magazine? It may sound complex, but artist Jay Croft started publishing his own artwork at a young age. Influenced by skateboarding and Do It Yourself culture, Jay Croft’s illustrations have graced skateboard decks, his zine Street Canoe, and most recently, a mural at Chill Ice Cream in downtown Akron.

Croft’s passion for skateboarding and art helped him create a career as a visual merchandiser for the shoe and apparel company Vans. “I have always tried to go against the grain. Not in a rebellious way, but in a way that I could make it my own. I never wanted to be like anyone else. Not for the sake of being different, but for the sake of being true to myself,” concludes Croft.